The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 13:1-7, “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

5 When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.”

Many fascinating experiences come to those who are devoted to ministering to the LORD. Just such an experience occurred at Antioch in the opening verses above. It’s also worthy to notice that they were so involved that they had apparently not given any thought to eating. Prayer had been their focus, and the Holy Spirit rewarded them with work He had for them to do.

Fasting should be understood as not merely going without food, but with being so devoted to prayer that eating was totally absent from their thinking. And precisely at this time, the Holy Spirit spoke to them. (Perhaps if we were more focused on spiritual things than on food, we, too, might be rewarded with the Spirit’s message. In any event, from that moment they were led by the Spirit to proclaim the Word of God both in the synagogues of the Jews and even to a magician, a false Jewish prophet. This faithfulness ultimately led to Sergius Paulus’ receiving the LORD’s Word!

How remarkably the LORD works, when we are thoroughly focused on Him! Prayer works when the LORD works; and the LORD works when we give ourselves to Him in earnest prayer!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

We will never know that Christ is all we need,

Until He becomes all that we have. – Corrie ten Boom